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tv   Democrats Union Leaders on Manadatory Fees  CSPAN  June 28, 2018 11:53pm-12:44am EDT

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they should remember that when you disrobe it is hard for people to take you seriously. a man looking at a picture of a topless woman is not going to say look at that fantastic athlete, isn't it wonderful she doesn't have problems with body image. no, he's going to think about sex and not think about her in a respectful way either. that's why say andrea merkel would not take off her blouse to prove she doesn't have body issues. she wants to be respected. if women want to be respected they have to behave in a way that will elicit that. democrats in congress and leaders of unions discuss union membership after her recent 5 5 - 4 decision where states cannot require government workers to pay union fees.
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the course as it violates the first amendment. we heard comments from chuck schumer and nancy pelosi during the 45 minute briefing. [inaudible] [inaudible] leader schumer will be joining us momentarily. when he does, he will have some remarks. i'm senator macy of hawaii. i think everyone who is here, especially later pelosi. and when leader schumer comes in
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everyone else was here, i would like to start with some words regarding justice kennedy's retirement. the next supreme court justice will have the power to over turn role versus weight intake way healthcare protections for tens of millions of americans. the next supreme court justice will be in a position to continue the decades long assault on working people funded by -- hello chuck. let me finish my statement. funded by far right groups like the quote brothers. the groups have spent millions of dollars to pack our courts with people who will serve their own interests. i know this as a member of the senate judiciary committee. yesterday, this effort continues sadly and predictably with the supreme court decision, a
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decision that will undermine the fundamental rights of public sector workers across the country to unionize a bargain collectively. these are people we know the public sector workers, they are families and friends. people serving our communities and educating and nurturing our children and keeping us safe. they deserve our support and protection. this why were introducing our bill today. the freedom to negotiate acts which reaffirms every public sector workers right to join a union and bargain collectively with their employees for better wages and working conditions. it sets a minimum standard that every state in this country must meet to provide these basic rights are public employees. this includes the right of
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employees to form unions. these are not normal times. we need to fight back against this all-out assault on working people. i will turn tour leader schumer for your remarks. then i asked leader pelosi to step up. >> thank you. i'm sorry i was on the floor talking about an issue, called the supreme court. is it related to why we're here today. i think our colleagues for being here. i think are great leaders and labor and in the past few days we have seen how powerful the supreme court can be when it comes to the lives of middle-class americans and those struggling to get there. the janus decision is a gut punch for the working people across america. it got punch to income quality
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into 50 years of progress. it is a despicable decision. in the court reached out to over turn over 40 years of precedent on a flimsy, almost made up first amendment justification to meet their ideological needs. when john roberts came before us he said he would call the balls and strikes. the janus does vision was a political wild pitch, nowhere near the strikes him. we democrats will fight hard to undo it. the greatest problem in america, bar none is that middle-class incomes are not keeping up. why did middle-class incomes advance a much? it's because of these people. these people in monica and their
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predecessors on shoulders they stand. they fought, they were hurts and they created the right to nice. in the golden age of america is when america was unionized and middle-class incomes and pensions, healthcare advanced. now, the hard right wants to take it away. they know they cannot pass this in a conservative house and senate. so they use the one elected body, nonelected body, the supreme court. we democrats will not let that happen. that is why we introduced a bill that ensures public employees, healthcare providers, firefighters lease officers, librarians, correctional officers and others have the right to organize and bargain collectively states that
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currently do not for them basic rights. my colleagues will describe the bill in more detail. but what happened in the supreme court shows why we must not have another hard right supreme court nominee who does not follow precedent for their own ideological stamp on issue after issue. this should be a call to working people to make sure another nominee who will do that and you can be certain anyone who made that was 25 by the federal society and heritage foundation will remove even more workers rights. we will fight it all the way. as we'll fight as hard as we can to onto janus with the legislation we are introducing
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today. >> thank you for your strong statement. thank you senator for bringing us together this morning. it's an honor to be with her champions and working families in our country. wonderful representative, monica roberts. thank you for being with us. you'll hear from our college says they speak and others come. let me just acknowledge this. this decision announced yesterday, the supreme court became the supreme court. that's short for corporation. there are handmaidens of corporate america. they're there to undermine workers in our country. they did so in trying to suffocate the voices by giving corporations unlimited access to dark special-interest money in
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the citizens united decision. yesterday, they did violence toward democracy and trying to diminish the voices of working people. amplify the voices, diminish the voices of workers. that is not the american way. there decision is violent to the first amendment, cheapening it and stretching it is a rationale for this decision. it abandons a decision. that endangers so many decisions that have already taken place in the court. what does that too? it hurts america's working family. the trade union movement has been responsible for establishing a middle-class. the middle class has a union label on it.
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we all agree with that. our society and economy have benefited from collective-bargaining the protections of the workplace in terms of work safety. every worker in america whether they belong to a union or not has benefited from the leadership of the union movement. that's why the ultraconservatives want to undermine it. they couldn't do it legislatively, so they are taking to the courts. shame on this court for this decision, especially on top of citizens united. it undermines the first amendment and undermines our democracy. some of these decisions that could be affected if they're casual about decisions made would be rolled versus wade, women's right, lgbtq writes are
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all at stake. under the gop control of washington, jobs, healthcare, basic rights are under threat on this trump court. what is at stake is a character of america and the future of our children. that is why were pleased. we have a better deal, better jobs that are future and part of that is the legislation reference by the leader is being introduced today that the senator introduce. we are going to fight this. this is about the character of america, the strength of the middle class which is the backbone of our democracy. high-yield to representative cartwright of pennsylvania who --
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>> excuse me. if you don't mind, i know that she needs to get to her meeting, you are -- >> i really appreciate it. thank you to everyone who does appear champion this. before i just yesterday supreme court decision, i want to say that right now there are people across this country who are deeply and rightly worried about how justice kennedy's retirement affects their day-to-day lives. they will have questions for this administration. every republican who decides the people do not need a voicemail that president trump is simple and in charge after blocking his qualified nominee will have questions like what will that mean for my coverage if i have a
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pre-existing condition. will my daughter grow up without the right to make her own decisions about her own body? the issue at the core, will i be able to stand up for my rights at work, including my right to join a union? women and men nationwide no how much is that steak and so did the democrats in the senate. we will push republicans to agree that we should wait for voters to weigh in according to senator mcconnell's own role. also in rejecting nominees that would take us backward on issues that are so important to who we are as a country. yesterday's decision underscores how important this is. it was a loss for workers in a
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win for corporate special interests who have spent decades chipping away at workers rights and fighting to dismantle unions. unions and the people they represent will not stand by and watch. they will organize, fight back, and have voices heard. that includes fighting for workers rights and representation. democrats are proud to stand with them. for more than a century, unions have organized to lift up the voices of workers who have been on her. unions helped create the 40 hour work week. they ended child labor and strengthen the middle class. unions are empowering workers in cities nationwide. we know where there are unions, all workers benefit. we know unions are the most effective pathway to the middle
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class. i am proud to join my colleagues and i especially want to thank the senator for her leadership on this legislation. the bill introduced guarantees that are public employees, teachers, nurses, librarians, the basic right to organize and bargain collectively in every state across the country. this is an important step democrats are taking to stand up for workers in the and built an economy that works for all not just those at the top. earlier we entered use the workers freedom to negotiation act. it will level the playing field. it will strengthen the bargaining power and the right to join a union to be treated fairly and job our economy only works when it works for
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everyone. i urge a republican colleagues to join us in standing up for use in working families in the middle class. people across the country to stand up, make sure republicans know the state of the supreme court vacancy. why it matters to them in protecting their rights and freedoms and what they want republicans to do about it. thank you. i will turn it back over to congressman cartwright. thank you for yielding. >> good morning. with regret, i say that we are unfortunately gathered here tomorrow and low points in the labor law of the united states of america. this week, with the case of
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janice -- as many expected a narrow majority, 5 - for the court reversed 40 years of american legal precedent, took the fabric of american laudatory.. to set back the rights of working men and women. instead, this is not just public-sector working men and women, public-sector people were talking about snowplow drivers and correctional officers, local policemen, firefighters, the people that make a safe and secure and educator children. people that get out of bed every day to work and feed their kids and then they go to work to protect us. their rights were implicated by this decision. make no mistake, it does not stop with them.
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if you are a member of the labor union that is a private sector you, if you're a heavy equipment operator, steelworker or minor, it affects you too. they're coming for you next. it is the camel's nose in there after you. this decision was not jurisprudence, it was bareknuckle politics. prominent republican politicians are saying how much this will hurt democrats and how great that is. make no mistake, it's the democrats taking it for the regular working people in the democrats here today talking about how bad this is it hurts. even if you're not in a union, unions are negotiating better wages and working conditions for everybody. that helps everybody. you know a rising tide floats all boats. even if your not in a union, the
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janice decision threatens your way of life. ladies and gentlemen, justice kagan in her dissent made a point, she talked about how now the bill of rights is being used differently. she said the first amendment has now been weapon nice to use against ordinary regular working people. that is what happened in this janice decision. there is more of this to come. we can see it. this is what brings us together this morning. i'm congressman matt cartwright and i represent -- were labor rates are time-honored values. it is areas where john mitchell gathered in clarence spoke for
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the mineworkers and help to establish fair labor standards act, 40 hour week it acts, getting children out of the mines. we understand the importance of labor rights in northeastern pennsylvania. i'm proud to be here among my colleagues. what we are doing is announcing an introduction in the house by the public-service freedom to negotiate act. it strengthens the right of employees to stand together as one and negotiate with their employer to negotiate collectively to bargain for decent pay fair workplaces. we have several democratic cosponsors. we are republican colleagues to join us. this is not the way america should be going. we should be honoring the valuing the hard-working men and
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women in this country and not stripping away their rights. i am proud to introduce the house version of this bill. [applause] >> now we hear from congressman scott from virginia. another sponsor of the bill to make the recognizer colic from new jersey in the back. thank you. >> thank you senator. yesterday, the supreme court attacked public-sector unions and millions of workers they represent and also attacked one of the greatest engines of economic justice in america. it's not a coincidence the declining membership has been accompanied by a rise in income inequality. between 1980 and 2014, wages for the bottom half of income earners ruled by 1%.
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during the same time income for the top 1% grew over 200%. this does not occur naturally. it's an economy rigged against workers. yesterday they made the problem worse. my colleagues have detailed the benefits of union membership and greater access to medical benefits and more time to take care of loved ones who may be sick. of course, higher wages. benefits are not limited to the individual employee. there passed down from generation to generation. children of union members have more upward mobility. it's important tonight the messages conservatives are sending to working families. they preach hard work will undermine their ability to get paid for that.
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they preach fiscal responsibility and then spent $2 trillion in tax cuts that benefit corporations and the wealthy. today, democrats and unions are standing together to send a clear message that american workers deserve a fair return on the work. legislation is based on a bipartisan bill that passed with overwhelming support. over 300 votes in 2007. that protected police officers, firefighters and other public safety employees. this expands the covers for additional government employees. i look forward to bipartisan support on this bill as well. in addition to the comprehensive workers freedom to negotiate act which we introduced earlier to defend the rights of private sector workers, this bill strengthens public employees
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ability to look for a fair safe workplace it's my pleasure to introduce the cochair of the house democratic policy and communications committee. the gentleman from rhode island. >> and delighted to be here and join my colleagues on this important location. acknowledge the heroic leadership and thank you for not only been in the fight but for what you do everyday to support working families and to say thank you to mr. ms. roberts for work. although the decision is not completely a surprise we found that time in both political parties support strongly unions.
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and -- american labor unit help build the middle class and help make it strong. unions of the most effective way to move people into the middle class. they're the reason people have weekends off, good wages and benefits and employer-provided health insurance. they led the fight to end child labor my family medical leave. unions have been responsible for one of the biggest challenges in this country and that is how do we increase family wages #, union workers make 27% more than their nonunion counterpart. this comes out as a results and have not only benefit members at all working people. if we want a strong and growing middle-class, we need strong unions. that's why the decision so devastating. not only for the country but for working families in america.
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a decision that's the latest in a long line of corporate-funded attacks. the workers were talking about our firefighters, police officers, sanitation workers, wall street, the big banks and business of spent decades trying to undermine unions by denying them the freedom to organize. this decision is a result of that long effort. they've done everything to make it harder to negotiate for decent pay. it's wrong. this is america. if you work hard and play by the rules you should be able to provide by your family and provide your kids with a better life and you had. we should always honor hard-working a good wage and benefit. democrats have an old plan to make sure that happens. starts with the introduction
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today it will ensure public safety have -- can have a fighting chance to get ahead in the country. when we take back the house will move forward on the bill that supports working families. the supreme court has tremendous power, congress has tremendous power to. we can elect people and put policies in place to provide better jobs and wages for all americans. this is a moment that will test the character of our country and the soul of this nation. we will approve that were in america where everyone can get ahead. people have the right to organize and collectively bargain to ensure a better future mac okay. are we getting fired up? , will -- the morning everybody
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this morning i'm reminded of a quote from ronald reagan in a speech he gave on june 8, 1982 to the british house of commons. he said, the objective i propose is quite simple. to foster the infrastructure of democracy, the system of the free press, unions, political parties, universities which allow people to choose their own way. there way to develop their own culture, to reconcile their differences through peaceful means. yesterday with this decision the supreme court tried to strike a blow. they will not succeed. folks who pick up the trash and answer your 911 calls, who ride
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your school buses and plow your roads, they work hard every day to keep our communities safe community strong. five supreme court justices have decided they don't deserve the freedom to negotiate. on a fair return of their work. and stand together strong union. indeed, it's larger than that. so many of the courts recent decisions raise a very real question. can ordinary people, women, muslims, working people, lgbtq people get a legitimate fair trial before the united states supreme court these are very serious times for democracy. the janice case was about one
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thing and to have more power and well so that the privilege and powerful template work for themselves at the expense of working people were trying to play by the rules every single day. it's why the legislation is so important. public service freedom to negotiate act is about making sure people have greater abili ability. and to choose their own way to develop their own culture. to reconcile their own differences through peaceful means. this bill is a legitimate -- it was bought and paid for by billionaires and driven solely by -- against labor unions. it would strengthen collective bargaining putting the law on our side an additional wind on
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her back. the folks are serious about empowering working people. they will bring the bill to the floor as quickly as they possibly can. 1.6 million proud women are everyday heroes. they never quit. continue to organize and build power. to come together in collective action and improve our lives every single day. most of all, most millions of workers and their family saw the attack on them yesterday and you better believe that in november they are going to vote. a handful of justices is not going to stop. i believe this is on our side. unions enjoy stronger public support than they have in years,
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with approval ratings above 60% according to the gallup poll. i'm grateful to the congressional leaders in the room for being strong champions for the labor movement of her working people. for work making our rights and freedom centerpiece. thank you. >> good morning everybody i want to thank leaders flow c and schumer who are elected officials who join us today and i want to thank my fellow leaders who show poise and grace under relentless attack. finally, i want to recognize the
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union members, those present and future who inspire us to keep fighting for our freedoms every day. obviously, we were disappointed with the supreme court's decision in -- a narrow, five justice majority emboldened by a stolen seat overturned for decades of common sense. i want you to remember this, this case was not pushed from the bottom workers clamoring for it. it was solicited from the supreme court bench itself by justice alito, begging people to file suit so he could overturn precedence. it is the latest, misguided action by the most corporate friendly court in our history.
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the most corporate family court in american history. make no mistake about it, i stand before you today as optimistic as i ever was. not just because we have great friends and representatives that are willing to pass legislation into right the wrongs out there, i say this, it's a guy who got his 50 year pin in the united mine workers. i have seen a lot of the economy, the labor movement has never dependent on any politician or judge to decide her fate. we are not about to start five judges. in the end, i can promise you something, and janice is going to be a footnote in history at best. this moment in history is being
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defined by workers organizing. something happening in america. it's real and beautiful. it cannot be contained by five justices or 51 republican senators or even the president of the united states. all of the country right now, workers are organize in their striking as we haven't seen in years. 15000 workers in april in one week join the union. that's on top of 262,000 you members who joined our ranks last year. and to be more optimistic 75% were under the age of 35. our turn is coming. despite the fact that too many labor laws have written to undermine the freedom to organize, new research from mit
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shows a 50% increase in the number of nonunion workers who would vote to join a union tomorrow given an opportunity. tens of millions of workers are ready to experience the transformational power of collective bargaining. in many cases, all that stands in the way is a rigged system. that's why the better deal, labor law reform bill in the public service freedom to negotiate act in the workers freedom to negotiate act, bills introduced by the house and senate democrats are a major step in the right direction and a very important filler for writing an economy that really doesn't work for anybody but those at the very top. there is strengthen the freedom
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to organize by expanding the loss that millions of additional workers can access collective bargaining. remove system and show chunks of the anti- worker act and make the process of forming a union in reaching a contract a lot more fair. . .
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>> we are standing up out to get our fair share of wealth or bargaining we will not allow a corporate entity to stop us from doing our job. thank you we look forward to working with you every single day _spee17 thank you very, very much all of the labor union and to quote the president at a rally and we will get this down by doing
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that. now we have the privilege listening to a member of the public sector union. [applause] >> good morning. i'm an elementary school secretary for maryland and a proud member of the local 500. senator and representative thank you for introducing the public service to negotiate act and also think each of our cosponsors. thank you very much the public service freedom to negotiate act is a great thing. now more than ever working people are calling unelected leaders to stand beside us. making it easier to join together, not harder.
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although i will soon be retiring after 30 years of public service i will continue to stand with my union brothers and sisters to fight to ensure more working people have access to the union. i am doing this because i remember those days and i didn't have a job. it was scary however providing me with support and job security and benefits like paid sick leave. i needed to have surgery i could afford it and take off work to recover thanks to the benefits my coworkers and i could negotiate for in our contract and also to provide with emotional support on the job i have gone to work every day knowing that i have a place to speak up for myself as well as my coworkers. when i think of how being a
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part has changed my life in so many working people i'm grateful but it also makes me angry that the precor has made it easier for anti- worker extremists to buy fighting the working people but no court will stand in our way that our communities need we will stick together to raise wages and secure affordable healthcare and with a dignified retirement and keep speaking out for good union jobs. thank you for standing with us. [applause] >> any questions? >> would you like to see president trump nominate a supreme court justice with
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equal protection of the law under the 14th amendment? >> what i'm looking for and is the precor justice can be for him -- they are not a republican trump is that he would like the supreme court to be all republican. obviously we are looking for far and one -- fair and impartial justices that is not the direction the president is going very much they are very conservative when working people women's rights or minority rights. >> yesterday $1 million on the supreme court fight what can
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the afl-cio do? >> look. it is about talking to your members we do that every day. and that is what this is about. we have already started doing that they have that coming after us for ten years financed by all the rich people you just talk about and a bunch of others but they stay with us because they know the only way they could get ahead is that they stick together as one. they can do things that no worker can do alone. 262,000 new members just a few
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weeks ago bring it on we will get past the ten janus and that will be a footnote in ten years. >> adding to what rick said, it goes to the heart of your question the attacks of public sector unions are working families they are real attacks. they tried to wipe us out. this has nothing to do with first amendment rights it has everything to do with power and wealth wanting more at the expense of the family millions and millions and millions of dollars refund -- defined long -- unfunded public sector
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unions we knew this was coming. we have been preparing we have developed a program where we are having one-on-one communications 1.6 active million members and retirees close to 1 million individual conversations with members. let's talk about why they need to be involved in their union but more importantly to listen to them. we have found when we reach out to them, it is not rocket science we talk to them with the freedom foundation and then to knock on their door the folks tell them to get the hell off of their porch. we have to have that strong approach and to mobilize in educating and organizing this
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is one supreme court decision this is a call to action a movement where we can all come together. say enough is enough and i think we will achieve that goal. >> what we do with this bill is to enable people to do that through their bank accounts. it is hard to believe that there are many states that prohibit public sector
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employees from having automatic deductions they will make it as hard as possible to continue to contribute to their unions. this'll make sure these kinds of deductions can occur automatically. the first amendment right has been recognized by the supreme court so this is a bill that would require all the states to meet minimal foundational rights to collectively bargain. [inaudible conversations]
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>> so let's talk about your interactions so when did that happen? >> the point that i realized
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not until the end of august 2015 that happened at my house over a glass of wine formally with epa talk to us about the water crisis. i said it's okay. she said everything is not fine. it isn't treated properly so there is lead in the water so that is the moment i realized i needed to take action. and that is what the state programs were for so that is something that we track so then i did my own research to see what was happening to our children but then to look at
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the change of the level and what we saw was alarming [inaudible conversations] >> good morning thank you for joining us this morning i am

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